Neglected Duty
by purplemonkeydishwasher7
Summary: Beatrix & Zidane both left feeling neglected by their significant others


Just a quick note before the fic starts, someone mentioned in a review they didn't like the last thing that was said. I was actually feeling the same way about it, so I changed it. Anyway, here goes, hope you enjoy  
  
---------------------------  
  
"I'm so bored."  
  
Beatrix sat staring into the still waters that surrounded Alexandria Castle. Her face was the very definition of emotionless, if it hadn't have been for the occaisional blink she could have easily been mistaken for a corpse. Even her hair, that usually seemed to be almost bouncing with life, was somehow looking flat.  
  
The sound of metal clanking slowly filled Beatrix's ears. She didn't need to look up to know that Steiner was on his usual patrol route around the castle. She was constantly both amazed and bemused at how he managed to keep it up every night. He was, of course, always on time. People were known to set their watches by his patrols. Then the clanking stopped.  
  
"Beatrix?"  
  
Her flat expression slowly changed to an evil grin. Beatrix stood and turned to Steiner, then began to wander toward him. "Hey."  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"Fine." Beatrix's expression had changed to a soft smile. She kept moving toward Steiner, wandering playfully with her head cocked to the side. "Watcha doin'?"  
  
Steiner's eyes narrowed. Beatrix wasn't known for being playful. "Patrolling... are you sure you're alright?"  
  
"Fine, just fine," she said as she reached her hands around Steiner's neck, locking her fingers together. "But I was wondering..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You know that theatre restaraunt downtown?" Beatrix did her best to put on what could only be described as Bambi eyes. It wasn't really working though, she was a warrior at heart. Nonetheless, Beatrix didn't really have to try hard to make Steiner melt. "How about we go?"  
  
Steiner paused. It was a strange question, he thought Beatrix hated that sort of thing. "Well,"  
  
"Please?" Beatrix cocked her head forward. She was doing her best to keep up the Bambi eyes, but she knew they really didn't suit her, and it was becoming quite difficult.  
  
Steiner was very close to faltering, but managed to control himself. "I'm not sure we could leave the castle unguarded."  
  
Beatrix sighed, and her arms dropped to her side. "Of course, silly me," she said sarcastically.  
  
"I'm sorry Beatrix, but it is our sworn duty to -"  
  
"Yeah yeah, I know, I know," Beatrix muttered as she turned and walked back to the castle. Steiner just stood with a baffled look on his face, not sure what Beatrix was up to. It seemed out of character for her to want to shirk her duties. Had he done something wrong? Steiner sighed and let his chin drop to his chest.  
  
"Trouble with the lady?"  
  
Steiner quickly span around and readied his sword. He soon relaxed, letting his shoulders drop back down. "Good evening, Zidane."  
  
Zidane leaned against a nearby pillar. His tail flicked around his legs. He grinned at Steiner smugly. "Evenin'."  
  
"What brings you here?"  
  
"The weather mostly. Plus there's this goergeous brunette chick who lives nearby I got a thing for." Zidane winked.  
  
"Very funny Zidane, but you know what I mean."  
  
"Just out for a walk. Anyway, like I said, things not to smooth with Beatrix?"  
  
"It is no concern of yours." Steiner straightened up. Although he now held a lot of respect for Zidane, Steiner didn't really appreciate him poking into his private life.  
  
"Aw, come on Rusty, you can talk to me!"  
  
Steiner's face changed to a thoughtful expression. "There is nothing that I know of, but she has been acting awfully strangely this evening."  
  
"Like?"  
  
Steiner sat down on the small stone wall behind him. "Well, she seemed to want to leave the castle and spend the night at that theatre run by that friend of yours."  
  
Zidane frowned and lowered his eyebrows. "Strange, didn't think she liked that sort of thing."  
  
"Well yes, that too, but that isn't the part I was really confused by. She seemed to want to leave the castle, and more importantly the Queen, unguarded purely to see a mere play."  
  
Zidane raised an eyebrow, then turned and plonked himself down, leaning on the wall near Steiner. "So she's bored then."  
  
"Bored? But how can she become bored when she has such an important duty?"  
  
Zidane sighed. "Maybe she's getting grumpy because the man in her life is a little preoccupied with his job, and she's feeling just a little neglected."  
  
Steiner looked confused. "But she knows how I feel about her."  
  
Zidane turned his head and looked at Steiner. "Really?"  
  
Steiner paused, but remained to look perplexed. Suddenly he straightened up. "I am wasting my time, I should be checking on the Queen."  
  
Zidane shook his head. "Same old Steiner." Steiner simply stood up and marched off toward the castle entrance. Zidane sighed and tilted his head up to look at the stars. "You ain't the only one feeling neglected, Rusty."  
  
  
---------------------------  
  
  
Dagger twisted the pen around in her fingers, looking directly at it but not actually focussing on it. She was tired, but she had to get this letter finished tonight. Her mind began to wander, thinking about what she could be doing now if it weren't for her "royal duties". She could be out in Alexandria. Or even outside Alexandria. Wandering through the forests, listening to a creek softly babbling through the undergrowth. She could be with her friends. She could be with Zidane.  
  
A sharp knocking on her bedroom door snapped her out of it. She shook her head and placed the pen back in its inkwell. "Come in."  
  
Her door opened, and the familiar sound of Steiner's armour clanking about filled the room. "Good evening, your majesty."  
  
Dagger span around on her chair, arching her back. "Hi, Steiner," she said as she rubbed her face. "Did you want me for something?"  
  
"No, your majesty, I simply came to check on you." Steiner stood at attention in the middle of the room. The only sign of emotion was the faint smile on his face, which was always there when Steiner knew he was fulfilling his duty.  
  
"Have you seen Zidane around?"  
  
"Yes, he was down outside the front of the castle."  
  
"I haven't seen him all day."  
  
"Has he been away?"  
  
"No, I've just been so busy today I haven't had a chance to even look for him." Dagger began to look concerned. "But then again, he doesn't seem to have been looking for me."  
  
"Well," Steiner began, assuming Dagger wanted his opinion on the subject, "perhaps he realises you are busy with your royal -" Steiner stopped, as a light seemed to suddenly flick on inside his head.  
  
"Steiner?"  
  
Steiner all of a sudden seemed to look a little worried. "Maybe he, er,"  
  
"Are you alright Steiner?"  
  
"Yes, but, er," Steiner sighed at sat down, leaning his head on his fist. "I think he may be feeling like he's second on your list, so to speak."  
  
Dagger lifted her head, her expression becoming confused. "What makes you think that?"  
  
Steiner sat upright and began to rub his fingers together akwardly. "Well, perhaps he's been wanting to, say, get out of the castle and do something, and you've been too busy with you duties to notice it."  
  
"Oh." Dagger looked down at the floor. "How did you figure that out?"  
  
"Well, I, erm," Steiner stood up. "I think I need to go find Beatrix, may I be excused, your majesty?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Thankyou." Steiner marched out of the room, seeming rather flustered.  
  
"I wonder what all that was about," Dagger said to herself. She sighed. "Perhaps he's right. I should go and find Zidane." Dagger looked over to a mirror, frowned, then got up and wandered out of her bedroom.  
  
  
---------------------------  
  
  
Her sword whipped through the candle, going in one side and out the other as if there was no candle there. A moment later, as if it had taken the candle time to realise what had happened, the top half fell to the floor.  
  
"Impressive as always, my dear."  
  
Beatrix span around. She was momentarily confused as to how Steiner had managed to sneak up on her, ordinarily the clanking of his armour gave him away. Not this time. Because he wasn't wearing his armour.  
  
"Where did you get those clothes?"  
  
"I've had these for a while. I just don't wear them, because I usually have to be at the ready any time the Queen is in danger."  
  
"Usually?"  
  
"I have made sure the Queen will be safe for the night."  
  
Beatrix smiled and walked up to Steiner, placing her hands on his hips. "Well I'm not entirely sure the castle could manage without us," Beatrix said sarcastically, and walked around Steiner and toward the door.  
  
"I'm sorry Beatrix."  
  
Beatrix paused. "What for exactly?"  
  
"You don't seem to realise that, well,"  
  
Beatrix spun around. "Well what?"  
  
Steiner sighed. "I feel it would be almost treacherous to my country to say so."  
  
Beatrix sighed loudly and span around, then continued to walk toward the door.  
  
"Beatrix, please,"  
  
She paused again. "What?" she said impatiently.  
  
Steiner walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Beatrix turned slightly and looked up at him. Steiner sighed. "You mean more to me than protecting this kingdom. A lot more."  
  
Beatrix's face softened.  
  
"And if I have to let my duties take a second place to you, then so be it."  
  
Beatrix smiled and looked down at the floor. Then she looked back up at Steiner. "Wait here." She then raced out the door, leaving Steiner standing akwardly by himself.  
  
"Erm, Beatrix?"  
  
---------------------------  
  
Ripples echoed from where the rock first hit the water. It glided slightly above the surface before splashing down and sinking below the surface. Zidane winced, disappointed at his skimming abilities.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Zidane turned his head to the side. "Hey." He looked back to the water.  
  
Dagger walked up behind him wrapped her arms around his torso, leaning her head on his shoulder. "So what have you been up to today?"  
  
"Nothin'."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"So you've been kept pretty busy then?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Not much time for anything else then."  
  
Dagger frowned, realising what Steiner had told her was probably true. She sighed. She should really be getting back to writing that letter, it had to leave on an airship in the morning. Dagger removed her arms from Zidane's waist and moved to his side. "Zidane, I -"  
  
"I know, you've got work to do."  
  
Dagger paused, fighting back a lump in her throat. "That's not what I was going to say," she said quietly.  
  
"Oh. Sorry." Zidane continued to stare out at the water. "What were you going to say?"  
  
"I was just wondering if you wanted to do something tonight."  
  
Zidane looked down at his feet, then up at Dagger. "So you think you can fit me into your schedule?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
The lump in Dagger's throat grew larger. "How dare you.."  
  
Zidane looked back toward the water. "Well I'm sorry, I just feel like I'm, well, not that important to you any more."  
  
A tear dripped from Dagger's eye. "Not that important?" The lump in her throat had grown too large, she had to pause before sniffing and continuing. "My duties as the queen of a nation do take up a lot of my time but if you think that I even for a second ever stop thinking about you, well I," Dagger stopped and covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to cry. "Zidane, I..."  
  
Zidane looked up at her, realising the damage he was causing. "Dagger, I'm sorry, I -"  
  
Dagger stepped back and lifted her hand up. "Don't, Zidane, just, don't." She turned and ran back into the castle.  
  
"Dagger," Zidane watched her run, standing with a horrified expression on his face. He'd done it. The one thing he thought he'd never do. Something he'd sooner cut off his own tail than do. Something that even the thought of doing made his guts squerm.  
  
He'd hurt Dagger.  
  
The person in the world he loved the most. The one person that he got through his ordeal at the Lifa tree just to see. Zidane turned back to the water and let his chin fall to his chest. He ran his hands through his hair and shook his head. He looked up to the sky, and a tear fell from his eye.  
  
---------------------------  
  
Steiner was beginning to wonder if Beatrix was coming back. He had been standing there for a fair while, not that he really had any way of measuring time. Steiner looked down at the clothes he was wearing. It seemed strange not wearing his usual armour, he really only took his armour off to go to bed. He almost felt like he was standing in his pyjamas. These clothes didn't look remotely like pyjamas though, in fact Steiner almost went as far as thinking he looked quite studly. He grinned smugly.  
  
He was still rather confused as to why Beatrix had so hastily run off, but he seemed to get the strong impression it wasn't an angry running off, in fact it seemed closer to a happy running off. Steiner was quite relieved at this, as she did seem rather annoyed at him for his apparent neglect.  
  
Beatrix appeared in the doorway. "So what do you think?"  
  
Steiner was almost speechless. This was quite unusual for Steiner, he almost always managed to find something to say. On this occaision he only just pulled through. "Why, Beatrix, you look remarkable."  
  
The usual armour clad uniform Beatrix wore had been replaced with a flowing blue dress. Beatrix walked up to Steiner, and held her hand out. "Shall we?"  
  
Steiner slowly reached out and took Beatrix's hand. "Of course." They both stood simply staring at each other for a few moments, before wandering out the door.  
  
---------------------------  
  
Dagger sat on her bed leaning against the wall. Her arms were wrapped around her arched legs. Dagger's eyes were stained with tears, although she was no longer crying and was silent, save for the occaisional sniff.  
  
She felt a mixture of anger and guilt. Anger because of the way Zidane didn't seem to realise how much she loved him, but guilt because she knew that she had been neglecting him lately. Even though Zidane was almost always at the forefront of her mind, she couldn't afford to be spending a lot of time with him. Either way, it felt bad.  
  
A tap on her window interrupted her thoughts. She glanced across, seeing a silhouette that was unmistakebly Zidane. Dagger took a deep breath. She was relieved that Zidane was there, but at the same time she wasn't sure if she wanted to see him yet. She climbed off her bed and walked up to the window, unlocking the catch. She stepped back as Zidane pushed the winow inside. For a moment nothing was said.  
  
Zidane broke the silence. "Well you've got a choice here."  
  
Dagger took another deep breath, the lump returning to her throat.  
  
"You can either push me off this ledge, and I can understand if you take that option,"  
  
Dagger just stood and stared at him, the lump growing larger. She could feel the tears coming back.  
  
"Or, you can let me come in, because I've realised I'm a bastard, and perhaps the feelings I have for you are mutual."  
  
Dagger's lip began to shake.  
  
"I know you've been busy, I just, well, I know that I want to spend every waking moment with you, and I guess I'm just disappointed because not everything you do can involve me."  
  
Tears began streaming down Dagger's face, and she began to softly cry. She held out her arms to Zidane as he climbed into her bedroom and flung himself around her. He hugged her tightly, slowly stroking her hair with his hand as she buried her head into his shoulder.  
  
Eventually she lifted her head and leaned her forehead on Zidane's. "I love you, Zidane."  
  
Zidane smiled and hugged her tighter. "I love you too, Dagger." 


End file.
